Authorities may have deported tens of thousands of people based upon gang databases rife with errors. Throughout both the Bush and Obama administrations, federal authorities have prioritized deporting undocumented people with criminal records. This has included over 40,000 people alleged to have ties to gangs. These deportations have relied on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gang database, itself based upon state-level databases. However, a state audit of the California database, which contains over 150,000 names, revealed numerous errors, as well as entries based on questionable information.

In the California database, some people listed on the database had birth dates indicating that they were one year old or younger when they were added to the database. Additionally, while the law requires authorities to notify parents when minors are added to the list so that they may contest the decision, in many cases no such notification occurred. Furthermore, hundreds of entries were found to be past-due for removal from the list. While databases in other states have not undergone similar audits, it is likely that similar problems exist in other states. Sign our petition to demand that the federal government cease using this unreliable database as a basis for deportations.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Obama,

I am writing regarding the continued use of the ICE gang database in deportations. The database in based upon numerous state-level databases, many of which have been subject to allegations of unreliability. A recent state audit of the California gang database has revealed many entries in the state database are based on unreliable information, and that authorities violated guidelines in composing the database.

Some individuals on the database were aged one year old or younger when they were added to the database (according to their listed date-of-birth). Additionally, minors have been added to the database without authorities notifying their parents or allowing their addition to be challenged. Law enforcement has also failed to purge hundreds of people from the database.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to deport millions of people based upon ‘criminal records.’ Given the unreliable nature of the ICE gang database, continuing to use the database poses a risk to communities and individuals who may have no real gang ties. I urge you to act to end the use of this database in deportations.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Herzi Pink

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